PS Malik speaks on: Psychology of Love

Which are the love relationships we hold most dear and would most like to duplicate in our own lives? That enduring closeness and collegiality make the most inspiring model of love in our time is one of several surprises that turned up in a new PSYCHOLOGY TODAY survey.

First bit of advice from the resulting road map to romance:

Save your money:

Some 62 percent of respondents consider a bouquet of wildflowers spontaneously plucked from the side of the road to be much more romantic than a dozen long-stemmed red roses; just 38 percent felt otherwise.

And almost two to one they prefer a candlelit dinner at home to one at a fancy restaurant (66 to 34 percent).

Men and women may not speak the same language, but they select the same ideal of love.